Helped by Beyonce clip, Paris’ Louvre breaks visitor record

PARIS (AP) — The Louvre in Paris, the world’s most visited museum, received a record 10.2 million visitors in 2018, numbers boosted by a video clip shot by pop star Beyonce amid its paintings and sculptures.

The Louvre also mentioned in a statement Thursday the success of its flagship exhibition on French master Delacroix as a reason for the record.

The video of Beyonce and her husband Jay Z, featuring the Mona Lisa and other world-famous artworks, has been viewed over 146 million times on YouTube.

The museum notes a significant rise in the number of foreign visitors —almost three-quarters of total visitor numbers — mostly from the United States, China, other European countries and Brazil.